to win a heart
by lady homura
Summary: the valiant knight who swears to save the princess ends up kidnapping the girl. [starco]


to win a heart

description: the valiant knight who swears to save the princess ends up kidnapping the girl. [starco]

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 **the first arc: into the ivory tower**

 **01#- eyes of the heavens**

Marco had seen the blessed eyes only once in his life. It was as a young lad when he accompanied his father, the Royal Artisan, on a delivery for a commission tasked by the King himself. Sometimes, Marco could still remember the cold glint of the eyes endowed by the gods. He could remember the stout outline sitting on the throne and the slim figure perched on the royal seat. How very different those ominous silhouettes were from the petite princess he was tasked to guard.

"Marco?"

 _Those eyes._ Blue eyes were of the rarest kind. They were a symbol of the royal bloodline- the promise of the pact made between the first ruler of Mewni and those who presided in the heavens. It was a knight's instinct to serve and protect those who possessed the eyes of heavens.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

A stomp of the foot. The slightest traces of a frown on her pursed lips. Her obvious displeasure. Marco tilted back the visor of his helm, taking in the princess' burst of irritation with a thoughtful look. Unlike the other nobles of the court, the princess liked to adorn her speech and manners with emotion. She was… different from them.

"It's _Star_."

 **02#- caretaker**

The young princess once explained that due to the hectic state of royal affairs, children of the throne were often raised by a guardian handpicked by the Queen herself. Marco had expected one of the gentlewomen of the court. Perhaps a kind, elderly woman with a generous heart and an affinity for baking pecan pies. So when Princess Star dragged Marco to the _local tavern_ (for pete's sakes did she want him to lose his job?!) and introduced the bewildered young knight to a couple of drunk, rambunctious guards and called them her "babysitters," Marco simply walked away and ordered a tank of mead.

 **03#- gear**

Princess Star watched her knight fumble as he tried to buckle on the straps of his mail. She was _so_ proud. He was an interesting fellow, if not an excellent fighter. And a _hilarious_ drunk. Her mouth broke out into an amused smile. Drunk Marco was so very amusing. If only he wasn't so mindful of her status when sober… The young maiden noticed the disgruntled look on his face.

"Is everything all right?"

"It's fine, Princess."

"Marco."

"I'm fine."

" _Marco_."

"It's nothing. I just don't really like wearing my armor sometimes. It can be clunky and hot at times. That's all."

"If you don't like it, then just don't wear it! That's wha I would do!"

"As nice as that sounds… It's not that simple, Princess. It's part of the job. There are some things you just have to do."

 **04#- spar**

Marco neatly ducked a low kick to his shins and stared incredulously at Princess Star's triumphant smile.

"You can fight?"

"Royal guards for babysitters, remember?"

 **05#- by the lakeshore**

Drifting clouds.

Tender shoots of pea green.

The quiet whistle of a wild swan.

His steady hands.

Her long, golden hair fluttering in the wind.

"Thank you for the flower crown, Marco."

Stillness.

"You're welcome."

 **06#- comfort**

After an evening spent in her mother's company, Princess Star was more than eager to hurry to the doors where her brown eyed knight stood guard.

 **07#- comfort zones**

Marco always had an inkling that his relationship with the princess was not proper. The more time he spent with her, the more guilt he felt. Guarding her was enjoyable. He relaxed when he was around Princess Star. And what what alarmed him even further was that the young knight was sure the royal felt similar sentiment. When the princess bounded over inviting him to her chamber for a night of "bedtime stories and fun," she could not simply understand why Marco decided to give her a lecture on boundaries.

 **08#- rebuke**

"You are to protect my daughter with your life. She is the hope and future of this great nation."

 **09#- curse**

Legends told that the founder of the Mewni Kingdom had been a woman of great talent and beauty. So lovely was she that mortals, demons, and gods from numerous lands all flocked to the kingdom's gates in hopes of obtaining this great prize. Out of a fit of jealousy, a goddess in the heavenly domain transformed the First Queen into a lowly bug so that no one would ever take notice of her again.

 **10#- ambition**

"You keep calling me Your Majesty or Your Highness, but I'm not either of those things yet. For now, I'm Princess Star and I'm happy with that. So mark my words, Marco, I will become Queen someday. And if you think you can get away from me, you're wrong. We _will_ continue be friends and when I sit on that throne, you'll be right next to me as my general."

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author's notes: Hello, lovely community. I'm very excited to read some amazing Starco fanfiction. I look forward to getting to meet all of you! This chapter is sort of like an introduction which the plot will build off on. Please feel free to leave prompts and thoughts for the next chapter. Expect an update soon!


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